In The Thick Of It

Here is the state of my 'Command Central' as I tend to think of it. Ever since I got my own dedicated studio space in the house (August) I have been becoming more and more immersed in the process of establishing my creative environment. As in, no need to put anything away at the end of a session... let the moment pause but no need to disturb it's bearings... I love that! There is such a tactile connection to the artist's materials and their readiness to be at hand, ready to respond to the hand/mind/eye coordination that in a flash manifests itself in a move propelling the work forward...

Timing Can Be Everything

Driving along, on a glorious fall Saturday afternoon, I decided to take a different route to go and visit my daughter at her cafe job. I was taking some unknown side streets through a leafy neighborhood when I spotted an enticing church rummage sale sign.

I quickly found a parking spot and entered the church basement, encouraged by the signs saying linens, glassware, art...

However what I was met with was people furiously packing up all their tables in clear bags ready to be shipped to a charity thrift store. I soon realized I was coming right at the end of this promising sale, the worst feeling as you can imagine! As I caught glimpses of exquisite lace and crochet work in the plastic bags I kindly asked if I could PLEASE have a quick look and still buy something. As long as I had exact change the answer was sure, go ahead...

So this is what I assembled in a couple of minutes. Perfect pieces of lovely lacey textiles to incorporate into my textile jewelry. As it was the end of their day a total of $5.00 was requested. I happily obliged. Since I have gotten home I have been experimenting with some natural dyes. Pomegranates produce the most delicate pale pink.... If anyone has some other natural dye favorites post them here and we can share some ideas... Happy good timing to everyone!

New Vintage Textile Cuff

I have been busy sewing, getting ready for the up-coming Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts Show. It is held each year in Toronto, Ontario, the weekend after Labour Day. It runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a beautiful park setting. Approximately 160 exhibitors are selling their work in this juried sale. All we need is good weather to ensure thousands of visitors. This year I will expand my line of goods to include greeting cards, wrist cuffs & chokers. The work has been evolving lately; designs are more free-form and by hand dying some of the lace fragments the color has shifted to a more nuanced palette. This cuff is one of many new pieces I will have for sale. I will be adding more posts leading up to the September 5th. event, documenting the ups and downs of preparing, setting up, selling and recovering from a weekend in the 'craft show world'.

St.Lawrence Antiques Market/Toronto

I am taking you to the most lovely shop today. If you adore vintage, especially textiles, you will enjoy this tour. This tiny but crammed full of treasures shop is nestled in the corner of the St. Lawrence Antiques Market in Toronto, Canada.The market itself only runs on Sundays however this shop, Ephemera Too, is open on Saturdays also, from 8-2p.m.
Barbara Griffin is the owner of this emporium and is passionate about all things vintage. She specializes in fabrics but has plenty of other treasures that have caught her eye. Mounds of chenille bedspreads, quilts and blankets are stacked neatly on lovely worn wooden shelves.
Crisp cottons are laundered and ironed waiting for a sewing project to inspire. Barkcloth drapes and cushions adorn a corner light by 1940's lamps. Vintage clothing, purses, shawls; any type of accessories you can imagine are to be uncovered here. As you can see from the sampling of what this shop has to offer in these photos, it is certainly worth a look if you live in, or are ever visiting Toronto!